Canister.



No. 778,065. PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

0.. A. NORVELL.

GANISTER. APiLIOATIOIT FILED nn0.12,190s. NO MODEL; ZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

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1- No. 778,065. 5 PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

c. A. NORVELL.

\GANISTER;

APPLIUATION IITLEDIDEU. 12, 1903. y no MODEL. 2 sums-sum 2.

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I UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904!.

PATENT OFFICE.

CANISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,065, dated December20, 1904.

I I Application filed December 12, 1903. Serial-N 184,905.

' To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, CHEsLEY A. NoRvELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sacramento,in the county of Sacramento and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful .and others to be used by theircustomers eX- clusively or the buyers of their own particular wares ormerchandise and which when once filled by the vendor of a specificgrade,

or quality of goods it will be impossible of refilling by any oneunauthorized by the ven: dor, the idea being, in other words, to furnisha vendee with an attractive container which he is entitled to use solong as he purchases supplies from a particular vendor, but which cannotbe opened orv refilled by the vendee or a competitor of the originalvendor without the latters consent.

It consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts,as hereinafter more fully described, having reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central sectionof my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 00 m, Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 1/ y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detailof key and spring-catch mechanism. Fig. 5 is a side view of same.

A represents a container of any suitable size, shape, and material andprovided with suitable means of support. instance I have shown thecontainer as cylindrical and adapted to be screwed or otherwise securedto the wall, as at 2. The'container is preferably provided with ascrew-top 3 for filling purposes and a funnel-like bottom 4, terminatingin a cylindrical throat portion 5, through which discharge takes place.

Inside the canister and near its bottom are two c'oacting flap-valves 6,which normally hang pendent and open; but should the canister' beinverted they would immediately close by gravity and prevent the ingressof mate- In the present rial through the throat. Below valves 6 are thestaggered, inclined, and scoop-shaped baffles 7, andbelow the baffles isa contracted outlet 8, controlled by a suitable cut-off valve or gate 9.I Thus it is seen that provision is made against the surreptitiousrefilling of the canister from the bottom, since the contracteddischarge-opening 8, the staggered baffles 7, and the flap-valves 6- byproviding a tortuous discharge-passage prevent the insertion of anyinstrument to hold the valves open to prevent the canister being filledfrom that end.

In order to prevent the refilling from the top when once the device isinstalled in the interest of aparticular dealer, I provide means bywhich the cap may be screwed on and locked by suitable mechanism, thepossession of the key being retained by the dealer. In

the present instance I have shown the screwcap 3 as having a centralperforation 10 to admit a key 11 to engage a post 12, supported andturnable in a housing 13 on the inside of the cap. The lower end of thepost has an arm 14:, which connects by a link or other suitableconnection 15 with the spring-pressed pawl or dog 16, carried in guides17 on the housing 13 of the cap. The dog is adapted when the cap isscrewed down in the ordinary manner to engage the ratcheted edge 18 ofthe canister-opening to prevent the cap being unscrewed. The portion ofpost 12 intermediate of the two portions of the cap has the projectingpins 19 on either side, and

the key 11 is hollow and slotted to allow .it to pass over the end ofthe post and the pins, so that when the key is turned in one directionthe dog may be disengaged from the ratchet. The spring character-of thedog will always tend to throw it into engagement with the ratchet. I

In order to maintain the dog out of the path of the ratchet and allowthe cap to be freely screwed on or off without holding ontothe key, Iprovide a spring-keeper 20 in the path of one of the pins 19, over whichthe latter may be carried by means of the key and which keeper when oncethe pin is engaged behind it will hold the pin and post in opposition tothe tension exerted by the spring-dog.

screwed down a simple turn of the key releases the pin from keeper 20and the dog catches in the teeth of the ratchet. The key is then removedand no one not having the key may open the canister.

Thus by virtue of its proving an attractive and a most convenientarticle of household furniture it would operate to protect one dealeragainst another and enable him to keep his customers.

It is obvious that other locking means for the cap and other means forsecuring the cap on the can and changes in the preventive means forrefilling through the discharge could be provided without affecting theprinciple of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A non-refillable canister comprising a receptacle having separateinlet and outlet passages said inlet-passage bounded by an annularseries of ratchets, ascrew-closure adapted to screw upon the receptacleand having an inwardly-projecting housing, a post turnably mounted inthe housing and provided with key-engaging means, a spring-pressed dogguided in the housing, having one end adapted to engage the saidratchets and the opposite portion connected to the post whereby the dogmay be disengaged from the ratchets to allow the closure to be removed.

2. A canister including a receptacle and means whereby it may besuspended from a wall or surface, said receptacle having separate inletand outlet passages, a gate controlling the outlet-passage and ascrew-closure controlling the inlet-passage said closure and the wall ofthe inlet-opening having interlocking members, and key-actuated meansfor unlocking said members.

3. A canister comprising a receptacle having separate inlet and outletpassages, a ratcheted wall surrounding the inlet-passage, a rotatableclosure fitting the receptacle and provided with a housing on its underside, a spring-pressed dog guided in the housing and adapted tointerlock with said ratcheted wall, a post turnably mounted in thehousing and provided with radial pins, means connecting the dog withsaid post, and a spring-keeper in the path of one of said pins and overwhich the latter may be carried by means of an actuating-key whereby thedog is locked.

4. A canister including a receptacle having in its lower portion adischarge-passage and a pair of flap-valves which close when thereceptacle is inverted, oppositely-inclined baffies below said valvesand forming a tortuous passage, and a cut-off gate below the bafiics andcontrolling the discharge of material.

5. A canister comprising a receptacle having an outlet-passage in itsbottom through which the contents of the canister may flow bygravitation, normally open valves in said passage, baffles in the latterforming a tortuous passage and a cut-off valve in the passagecontrolling discharge from the canister.

6. A canister comprising a receptacle having an inclined open bottomthrough which the contents may flow by gravitation, a contracted throatportion below said inclined bottom, normally open valves in said passageand inclosed by the throat, means forming a tortuous passage in thethroat, and a cut-ofl' valve in said throat.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GHESLEY A. NORVELL.

Witnesses:

E. H. HOPPE, G120. B. HENRY.

